June 25, 2009
For Immediate Release
Sacred Heart Hospital adds Dual Source CT Scanner
to its Center for Imaging
Eau Claire, Wis., - Patients at Sacred Heart Hospital have access to some of the most advanced technology capabilities available in the world, and the addition of the hospital’s new Dual Source CT scanner is no exception. At a grand opening event on June 25 at Sacred Heart Hospital, community members got a first-hand look at the hospital’s new Siemens Somatom Definition Dual Source CT. Sacred Heart Hospital is the only hospital in the region to offer this advanced technology.
Computer Tomography (CT) scanning is an imaging technique that uses a computer and X-rays to present cross-section “slices” of areas of the body. The Dual Source CT at Sacred Heart Hospital takes 128 “slices” – or images – of the body at once, resulting in crystal clear accuracy. Because Dual Source CT scans allow physicians to see the inside of the body so precisely, many diseases can be diagnosed with accuracy in their beginning stages when treatment is the most successful.
The Dual Source CT takes images up to 4 times faster than a standard CT, resulting in faster scans, less time spent in radiology procedure room, and decreased radiation exposure.
This $1.9 million investment in patient care is particularly useful for taking images of the heart and enables physicians to conduct a non-invasive study of the coronary arteries.
“Many patients experiencing potential cardiac symptoms undergo an invasive heart catheterization procedure for diagnosis and treatment,” said Jim Geraghty, M.D., Radiologist, Medical X-Ray Consultants. “With the Dual Source CT, a patient who is having questionable heart symptoms can undergo a scan in less than 30 seconds to evaluate the coronary arteries and rule out other potential issues, and without having to take a beta blocker [medication to slow the heart]. This means that an invasive and potentially risky procedure can be avoided in many cases.”
The Dual Source CT also has applications for the detection of cancer, and for trauma, orthopedics and neurosciences. It offers immediate diagnosis of patients in critical condition. The technology offers unrivaled three-dimensional imaging quality, enabling physicians to detect tumors & malformations with absolute accuracy. This technology is the most recent addition to the hospital’s comprehensive Center for Imaging.
Other regional technological firsts at Sacred Heart Hospital include the 3 Tesla MRI, the Smart OR™ surgical suite, biplane angiography suite for images of the vessels of the brain and the body – and this coming fall, the intra-operative CT surgical suite.
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Sacred Heart Hospital is an affiliate of the Hospital Sisters Health System, and since 1889 has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical technology and a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition.